The Manipur Government has issued an order to control the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar into the state. The order includes directions that district administrations should not set up camps to provide food and shelter.
Simultaneously, the order also directs that civil society organisations should not be permitted to open camps for food and shelter. The order says that should people enter the country to take refuge, they should be politely turned away.
When did we stoop so low.
— Neha Dixit (@nehadixit123) March 29, 2021
Circular issued by home department of Manipur to ‘not provide food and shelter’ to #Myanmar refugees. pic.twitter.com/4v1WbewtIo
The order, ostensibly directed to prevent illegal immigration into India, has earned the criticism of liberals. Steps taken to ensure that illegal immigration does not become an issue in Manipur as well is being maligned.
There has been an influx of illegal immigrants into Manipur following the coup in Myanmar which has seen the use of force by the Burmese military to curb protests.
Congress supporter Saket Gokhale commented on the matter saying that “Shamelessness is an understatement”.
Just 48 hours after the massacre of 144 civilians (including a 13 year old girl) & with daily constant attacks on people by Myanmar Army, India issues orders to STARVE any hungry Burmese refugees fleeing the violence & to send them back.
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) March 29, 2021
Shameless is an understatement. pic.twitter.com/F3KS8pFcIw
Liberals appear to have forgotten that illegal immigration has been a grave issue in North East India. In order to ensure stability within the country and fend off demographic instability, the Indian State has to adopt a hardline posture against the same.
While liberals brand it ‘inhumane’, the consequences of illegal immigration should the Indian Government not take effective measure will be even worse. Intriguingly, the same people oppose the CAA in Assam, a humanitarian law that seeks to fulfill India’s obligation towards Hindus in three neighbouring Islamic states.
Such people support the protests in Assam against the CAA citing illegal immigration but at the same time, they are supporting illegal immigration into Manipur from Myanmar. It is quite evident that logical consistency is not their forte.
The consequences of not adopting a hardline stance against illegal immigration is nowhere more evident than it is in the United States of America under the Biden administration. The Biden administration, for all means and purposes, has adopted a stance that amounts to an ‘Open Borders’ policy.
Consequently, the USA is faced with a situation where illegal immigrants are coming in numbers that the US system is not equipped to handle. Migrants, including children, have been kept under inhumane conditions, locked in extremely close proximity in detention centers.
Photographs that have emerged of the detention centers show crowded facilities with children being kept in cramped conditions. The lack of social distancing also raise concerns about the facilities providing convenient circumstances for greater transmission of the novel Coronavirus.
It is accepted that the border crisis has been facilitated by Joe Biden’s political posturing during the campaign. He promised to undo all Trump era policies geared towards curbing illegal immigration. In the White House, Biden has largely followed through on that promise. Now, people, who would have otherwise not ventured into the United States, are entering the country in droves.
Needless to say, no country can survive without borders and border security. Liberals may choose to delude themselves with fantasies but fact remains that a country has a limited amount of resources which it can allot to its citizens. Given India’s past struggles with illegal immigration, a fate much worse than USA awaits us if India does not act tough on the same.
There is a saying that goes ‘A stitch in time saves nine’. The Manipur order ought to be seen in that light. Failure to do the same in Assam has led to vast demographic shift in the state which has fueled great concerns for law and order.
The order by the Manipur government is only geared towards ensuring that illegal immigrants do not see circumstances in India that encourages more to follow suit. Offering food and shelter would be interpreted by most as an incentive for more illegal immigrants to follow suit. And given India’s situation, that is something we cannot afford.
